Phillip Wallace Ayers

July 22, 1941 – May 25, 2022
Phillip Ayers died in Portland May 25, 2022 lovingly surrounded by family following a battle with pulmonary issues.
He was the first born to Aloha and Leo Ayers in Newton, Kan., in 1941 shortly before his Dad left for service in the Army Air Corps. Growing up primarily in Wichita, Phillip was raised in the Episcopal Church and began responding to his vocation from an early age. After graduating from Wichita East High School, Phillip entered Southwestern College in Winfield and later enrolled in Wichita State University to pursue his other lifelong passion: music. As an undergraduate, he met a graduate student in the music department over whom he would soon swoon. After graduating, Phillip and LaVera Goering were married in her hometown of Pretty Prairie, Kan., July 31, 1965. While teaching music in Junction City, Kan., their son Jonathan was born 1967. Phillip’s vocation led the young family to New Haven, Conn., to complete his M.Div at Berkeley Divinity School. He was ordained into the Episcopal priesthood and led his first congregation in Sedan, Kan., in 1970, where Chris was born. After a very brief stint in California, Phillip worked in Topeka at St. David’s before the family’s long and rewarding stay in North Haven, Conn., where he was rector of St. John’s on the town green. Church was a family affair as Phillip would celebrate the Eucharist, LaVera would be organist-choirmaster, and the boys would sing and acolyte. He did not lose his love of music and sang for years in Yale Glee Club. His path would lead him and LaVera to Minnesota and Michigan before landing in Portland in 1999, hoping for grandchildren which is exactly what happened. Phillip loved his family so very much and expressed his pride and admiration upon every meeting. His segue into his semi-retirement (once a priest, always a priest) involved more visits to the Abbey on Iona, and a stint in a North London parish, satisfying a lifelong Anglophilia. Phillip shared his love of music as a radio host of the “Choral Classics” show for years on All Classical Radio Portland. He sang in the Portland Symphonic Choir and Bach Cantata choir (with whom he toured all the German churches where Bach served.) He was a man “energized by his connections,” and was up for engaging others in conversation and sharing observations, information, and sometimes irreverent humor. Mostly, Phillip left his mark living by his belief in the essential goodness and validity of everyone, loving God and his neighbors, and being willing to understand.
Phillip was predeceased by his parents; and brother, Dan. He is survived by his wife, LaVera Ayers; sons, Jonathan (Gwi-Young) and Chris (Heather); grandchildren, Amelia, Benjamin, Jonah, Malcolm; and his younger brother, Tim.
Services will be held at 2 p.m., June 17, 2022, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Trinity Music and Outreach, Order of the Holy Cross, and the Iona Community.